Mara Griva earned the women's long jump title at the Drake Relays on Friday.

Photo Courtesy Scott Bruhn/Nebraska Communications

Courtesy: NU Athletic Communications

04/26/2013

Des Moines, Iowa- The Nebraska track and field team took to the track at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa on Friday. The Huskers came away with their first titles of the weekend as Mara Griva and Janis Leitis won the women’s and men's long jumps.

Griva captured the title on Friday, finishing with a season-best jump of 20-6 ¼ (6.25). Her mark moves her up to second in the Big Ten Conference. Kari Heck tallied a fifth-place finish with a season-best jump of 19-10 ¼ (6.05), which puts her at fourth in the conference. Kara Mostoller finished 10th overall with a mark of 19-3 ½ (5.88).

Janis Leitis also won the men’s long jump, capturing a season-best leap of 25-9 ½ (7.86). That mark ranks seventh in the NCAA and maintains his spot at second in the Big Ten. Patrick Raedler also finished fifth, posting a season-best jump of 24-10 ½ (7.58). He ranks third in the conference in the event. Nikita Pankins tallied a season-best mark of 23-11 ¾ (7.31) and Seth Wiedel notched a leap of 23-10 (7.26). LaPierre Fabrice of Asics posted a jump of 26-1 ½ (7.96).

Jillanna Scanlan posted an eighth-place finish in the women’s high jump with a season-best leap of 5-7 ¾ (1.72), a mark that moves her up to sixth in the Big Ten. Marusa Cernjul finished with a jump of 5-5 ¾ (1.67).

Maggie Malone finished eighth in the women’s javelin as she posted a throw of 147-4 (44.92). In the men’s shot put, Taylor Shapland notched a throw of 52-4 ¾ (15.97).

Shawnice Williams tallied a time of 2:08.63 in the women’s 800 meters, placing 10th overall in the finals. The 4x200 meter relay team of Tim Thompson, Raedler, Pankins and Leitis finished second in the finals with a time of 1:25.49. The men’s distance medley relay squad of Alney Tobias, Jake Bender, London Hawk and Trevor Vidlak finished seventh overall with a time of 9:58.31, while the 4x800 meter relay team of London Hawk, Tobias, Nolan Border and Vidlak finished seventh in the finals with a time of 7:34.73.

Tim Thompson recorded a time of 10.95 and Dexter McKenzie finished with a time of 11.06 in the men’s 100 meter preliminaries, but both failed to advance to tomorrow’s final. The women’s 4x100 meter relay team of Heck, Mara Weekes, Lexie Oak and Breunna McCarty finished with a time of 46.73, but did not advance to the finals.

Tibor Koroknai did advance to Saturday’s finals in the men’s 110-meter hurdles as he posted a time of 14.46 for sixth in the preliminary round.

The men’s 4x100 meter relay team of John Welk, Jodi-Rae Blackwood, Ricco Hall and Thompson advanced to tomorrow’s finals after finishing sixth with a time of 41.02. Levi Gipson, Christian Sanderfer, Hall and Cody Rush also qualified for tomorrow’s final in the men’s 4x400-meter relay with a second-place finish and a time of 3:08.16 in the preliminaries. In addition, the women’s 4x400-meter relay team of Weekes, Ellie Grooters, Mila Andric and Williams qualified for tomorrow’s final with a time of 3:40.30 in the preliminaries.